Clay cutting and mixing machine.



H. R. STRAIGHT.

CLAY CUTTING AND MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l4. x915.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. R. STRAIGHT.

CLAY CUTTING AND MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR 14. 915.

I Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2 ju/enlar M 4?,

. Kai/ messes H. R. STRAIGHT.

CLAY CUTTING AND MlXiNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-14. 1915- 1 ,301 ,0 1 '7. v Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

. 4 SHEETSSHEET H. R. STRAIGHT.

CLAY CUTTING AN'D MIXING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1915.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Iii m Zaiines sea HALVEB. RUFUS STRAIGHT, OF ADEL, IOWA.

. CLAY CUTTING AND MIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed April 14, 1915. Serial No. 21,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HALVER R. STRAIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Adel, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Clay Cutting and Mixing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of brick, drain tile, building blocks, etc., natural deposits of clay, shale, etc., are used as a basis for the plastic. Such natural deposits vary in quality and composition quite materially from top to bottom. The deposit in many cases is formed in distinct strata, each stratum being of a different composition than the one lying adjacent, the top'stratum usually being of such composition as to be unfit for use in the manufacture of clay products.

In the manufacture of clay products, it is therefore desirable and in many cases absolutely essential for economical use, to mix the material coming from the different strata of the deposit uniformly together.

Sometimes it is desirable to manufacture different kinds of clay products from the same shale deposits, and it is therefore desirable to vary the proportion of the mixture by varying the proportion of the material taken from the different strata of the deposit.

It is, therefore, the object of my invention to provide an apparatus of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction for automatically and uniformly cutting and mixin the compositions taken from a number o strata of a clay or shale deposit together, and to deliver them to a carrier device, and further to be ca able of varying the ratio of the materials ta on from the upper and lower strata. Y

A further object is to provide in a clay cutting apparatus means for removing the upper layer of soil from above the clay deposit, the said means to be operated from the mechanism used to drive the cutting devices.

A further object is to provide in connection with a clay cutting and mixing and delivering device new and improved means for carrying and advancing the apparatus, so arranged that the tracks on which the cutting mechanism and the delivering device are mounted may be easily and quickly adjusted to new positions.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the apparatus, with a portion of the upper conveyer and the devices for mounting it cut away.

Fig. 2 shows a planview of the horizontal frame member, with the mechanism for advancing the machine thereon, the vertical frame member being removed.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged, detail, side elevation of the lower portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 4 shows a detail, sectional view of the upper end of the vertical frame member, illustrating the cutting and delivering device.

Fig. 5 shows a detail, transverse, sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

I Fig. 6 shows a detail, sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

.Fig. 7 shows a detail, plan view of the upper end of the vertical frame member, and shows the driving mechanism for the cutting devices.

Fig. 8 shows a diagrammatical, plan view to illustrate certain operations of the mecha- IllSIIl.

Fig. 9 shows a detail, sectional view, taken on the line 99 of Fig. 4, and shows one of the cutting devices and the bucket connected therewith, and

Fig. 10 shows a detail view, partly in section, illustrating one of the cutting devices.

apparatus is mounted upon a horizontal frame 10. The said frame comprises two horizontal members 11. The members 11 are connected at each end by means of a trans- .verse member 12. Near one end of the frame 10 are transverse members 13, 14 and 15, which extend transversely across said frame and to a considerable distance beyond the sides thereof, the member 14 being longer than the members 13 and 15. Each end of the member 14 is connected by means of diagonal brace members 16 to the members 11.. V

Near the opposite end of the frame 10 is a transverse member 17. Supportedbeneath the members 12 and-17 and midway between the members 11, is a channel iron 18, this channel iron being ri 'dly secured to said members 12 andll. Shd'ably mounted in the'channeliron 18 is ablock 19, having a screw threaded opening 20, and a downwardly extending pin 21, see Fig. 5. The channel iron 18 is supported by means of a truck 22, having wheels 23. The truck 22 is provided with a cross member 24. The member 24 is designed to receive a screw threaded bolt 25, which bolt is provided with a head 26. The head 26 has the opening 27 in its upper face, and radially extending openings 28 in its periphery. The opening 27 is designed to receive the downwardly extending pin 21. Thisprovidesa pivotal connection between the adjustable bolt 25 on the truck 23 and the rear end of the frame 10. The bolt 25 may beadjusted by means of a bar inserted in the openings :28.

The forward end of the frame 10 issupported by Ineans'of rollers 29. See Figs. 2 and 3. These rollersare arranged with their axes extending radially from the axis of the pin 21, and are supported by means of bearings 30, extending downwardly. from the lower portion of the transverse members 13 and 15. The rollers 29 are of considerable length, and are designed to rest on the curved track 31. The rear end of each of the shafts of the roller 29' is provided with a bevel-gear 32. Rotatably mounted transversely beneath the frame 10' is ashaft 33, having a bevel-gear 34 on each end, said bevel-gears being designed to mesh with the bevel-gears 32'. The central portion of the shaft 33 is provided with a sprocket 35.

wheel 40 on the motor 37 A belt pulley 41 i's'also mounted on the shaft 38.

Arranged transversely beneath the frame 10 is a shaft 42-, having a large belt wheel 43 and sprocketwheels 44 and 45. A shaft 46 is provided beneath the frame 10 and parallel with the shaft 42, said shaft being provided with a sprocket 47 and a bevelgear-48. I

Extending longitudinally beneath the central portion-of-theframe '10is a shaft 49, supported atone end by'means of a transverse bearing 50. The opposite end-ofthe shaft 49 is screw threaded, and is designed toenter and coact'with the opening 20 in the" block 19. The'forward end of the shaft 49' is provided with'abevel-gear 51 which is designed to mesh with the bevel-gear'48, the'bevel-gear 51 being' loosely mounted on the saidshaft.

' I Slidablymounted uponthe shaft 49, and

keyed therewith, is aclutch member 52 de-' si'gn'e'd to coact with'the' clutch member 53011 the 'bevel-gear 51. This clutch rsfor the Thus it will" be seen that if the motor 37 is operated, the pinion 40 and the gear 39 will be operated with the shaft 38 and the pulley 41. The shaft 42 will also be oper ated through the pulley 43 andthebelt 54. This will operate the shaft 33 through the chain 55, which is mounted upon the sprockets 35 and 44. The rotation of the shaft 33 will cause the rollers 29 to be rotated through the-bevel-gears 32 and '34..

Thus it will be seen that as the said rollers 29'are'rotated,:the frame v10 will be 1moved in aswinging direction upon'the track 31 and about the pin21 as the center. This swinging movement may be reversed by ::reversing' the direction of rotation of themetor 37. The devices forreversing said motor are of the ordinary "construction, :and for that reason are notherewithillustrated.

The forwardend of the frame -10is provided with a vertical frame 56, which 'is designed to carry-the: cutting and delivering device. The frame 56 comprises upwardly extending members 57.. These members are connected by horizontal .crossmembers .58, the lower ends of the me1nbers57being mounted ont'lre upper faces of the. members 11 of the framelO. :A brace 59 is; provided for the frame 56. It will be noticed in Fig. 1 of the drawings thatthe frame 56 is'designed to lean forwardly a's'light distance, the purpose ofwhichwill-be more fully set forth. The upper .end ofthe frame 56 is provided with a Y platform 60, upon 1 which is mounted a motor 61. V I r I 1 Extending transversely across the platform 60 are shafts 62, 63 and 64. The shaft 62 is provided witha belt wheel 65-:antl a pinion-gear 66 (Fig. 7). The=motor61is also provided with a belt wheel 67, the belt wheels 67 and 65 being operatively connected bymcans of'=the-belt* 68-. *The shaft63 is provided with a spur-"gearj69', designed to mesh with the pinion 6'6. *Theshaft64 is provided '-with "-a loosely mounted pinion 70 and-a sprocket wheel 71, the pinion 70being designed to mesh with the gear '69. Slidably mounted' 'upon the shaft 64"adjacent to thepinion 70', is a clutch member 72,-designed to coact with the clutchface 73 of the pinion 70, the-said clutch '72 being'slidably but non-rotatably mounted upon said shaft.

It will be seen that as the said=elutch en- 'gages'the pinion 70 the-shaft 64=will then transversely beneath the platform 60-. on the upper end of the frame 56 is a shaft 77 designed to carry the sprocket wheels 78. The sprocket vyheels 78, 74 and 76 are designed to receive conveyer chains 79. Between the chains 79 is a series of buckets 80. These buckets are preferably V-shaped, and are provided with the straps 81 to secure said buckets to the chains.

Arranged between groups of buckets are cutting devices 82. The said cutting devices comprise bars 83 having right angled ex tending members 84. These members 84 are provided with outwardly extending axles 85, upon which are mounted rollers 86. The bar 83 is provided with a T-iron 87 near each end, the said T-iron being provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending portion 87 a which is designed to be placed in the links of the chain 79, as illustrated in Fig. 10. The said iron is also provided with a downwardly extending portion 87 which is designed to rest against the chain 79 and to thereby prevent rotation of the said bar 83 while the said bar is in operation. A pin 87 is provided for holding the member 87 a in position.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the two chains 79 are rigidly supported together, and carry the said bars 83. The central portions of the bars 83 are provided with a lug 88. The lug 88 is provided with an angular opening 89. This opening 89 is designed to receive a cutting tool 90, the cutting tool 90 being held in position by means of a set screw 91. The cutting tool 90 extends in front of the bar 83.

The buckets 80 on the upwardly moving stretch of the chains are arranged beneath the cutter, and mounted so as to be beneath the cutter 90 when the said cutter is in operation, and are designed to receive the dirt therefrom, the point of the cutter 90 being designed to extend a little forwardly of the front edge of the bucket 80, as illustrated in Fig. 9. To hold the cutters 90 in position while in operation, I have provided two uprighttrack members 92, which track members are designed to receive the rollers 86 and are secured together by means of cross members 93. Supported on the cross members 93 between the guide members 92, is a plate :94. This plate serves the purpose of preventing the dirt from being thrown rearwardly as the cutters are operated, as will be seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Secured in the upper portion of the frame 56 beneath the sprockets 74 and 78, is a slanting platform 95. This platform is designed to receive the material that is emptied from the buckets 80, and is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. Connected with the lower edge of the platform 95 is a trough 96, which trough extends downwardly and rearwardly to a point approximately above the pivotal center of the frame 10. The rear portions of the conveyer chains 79 are provided with a guide member 97.

For removing the top layer of the deposit, I have provided the forwardly extending frame 98 pivoted on the shaft 64. This frame carrles at its upper end a shaft 99, on which is mounted a sprocket wheel 100, the sprocket wheel 100 being in line with the sprocket wheel 71 on the shaft 64 at one side of the main conveyer frame and in line with the upper end of the trough 96. The sprockets 71 and 100 are provided with a cl1ain101, which chain is provided with cutting buckets 102.

Extending upwardlyfrom the upper end of the main upright frame are uprights 103. Rotatably mounted horizontally on the upper ends of said uprights 103 is a roller 104, designed to receive a rope 105, one end of which is connected to the upper end of the frame'98. The roller 104 is provided with a crank 106 and a ratchet 107.

The rear end of the frame 10 is provided with a box 108 which may be filled with ballast for the purpose of balancing the weight of the upper frame 56. This box may be mounted over the pivotal center of the frame 10.

The truck 22 is mounted upon a track 109, which track is built up of short sections. I have provided upright posts 110 at each side of the track 109. These upright posts are designed to carry a second track 111 vertically above the track 109. This track 111 is for the purpose of receiving a delivery car 112. The upper end of the uprights 110 has a hopper 113 mounted thereon, the said hopper being secured in position by means of braces 114. The hopper 113 is located approximately above the center of the truck 22 and designed to receive the rear end of' the trough 96 and also designed to empty into the car 112 when the said car is placed beneath it. v

A housing 115 is provided for the motor 37 and gear connected therewith.

After the forward end of the frame 10 has moved to a position at approximately right'angles to the track 109, the direction of the rotation of the motor 37 is reversed, which will reverse the rotation of the rollers 29, thereby causing the forward end of the frame 10 to move in the opposite direction. At this time it will also be seen that it is necessary to advance the cutter points 90 slightly toward the face of the wall. This is accomplished by shifting the clutch member 52 into engagement with the clutch member 53. Thus the shaft 49 will be rotated through the bevelgear 51, said bevel-gear being operated through the bevel-gear 48 and the shaft 46, said shaft being rotated through a chain mounted on the sprocket wheels 47 and 45, said sprocket 45 being rotated by the motor 37 at the same time the of the shaft 4:9 would cause the frame 10 to' be moved forwardly relative to the truck 22, it being understood that the block 19 of the channel-18 is slidably mounted therein, which would permit the forward movement of said frame, the collar 116 being provided on the shaft 49 for a thrust bearing against the bearing 50. After the frame has been slightly advanced forwardly, the clutch 52 is again shifted, and the screw threaded shaft 49 thrown out of operation. Thus it will be seen that the cutter members 90 will travel in a circle until it is again desired to reverse the direction.

The rollers 29 would be slid forwardly 0n the track 31 at the same time the frame 10 is advanced forwardly. After the frame 10 has been advanced a number of times until the rear ends of the rollers 29 are.

engaging the track 31 and the block 19' has reached the rearend of the screw threaded shaft 49, it would then be necessary to advance the truck 22 relative to the frame 10, which may be done by IelIlOVing the blocks 117 from the wheels 23 of the truck 22 and throwing the clutch 52 into engagement with the member 51 when the motor is running in a reverse direction to that which it is when the frame 10 is advanced forwardly.

It will also be seen that it would be necessary to advance the curved track 31. This I accomplish by means of a push rod 119, one end of which is provided with a ball 120 having a socket 121 secured to one side of the frame 10 a slight distance forward of the transverse line extending through the pivotal center of said frame. This rod 119 is provided with an adjustable member 122, which may be adj ustably connected with the rod 119 by means of a fastening device 123. When it is desired to advance the track 31 the member 119 is lowered to position and the rod 122 moved outwardly until it engages one side of the track 31, as illustrated in Fig. '8, this preferably being done when the frame 10 is in a position at right angles to the track 109. As the forward end of the frame 110 travels back, the rod 119 will be moved forwardly, which will slide the track 31 with it. This, of course, will move only a portion of the track 31, but the rod 119 would be placed in a different position until the track was moved the desired distance and had assumed an approximately circular form. Fig." 8 shows in dotted lines the paths through which the cutting members 90 would pass at their various advancements. 7

It will also be noticed that by this arrange- 'ment a uniform depth of the cutters may beinaintained as the machine travels in its circular path. If the pivotal center of the frame 110 wereadvanced each time the said frame was advanced, a uniform depth of the cutters 90 would not be obtained, inas much as the cutters would rise to a very thin depth at the ends of the cuts, and would increase in depth to the center, after which 7 ter blade while taking a cut of full depth than it is in taking a shallow cut.

It will be understood that some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device-without departing from its essential features and purposes, and it is my intent to cover by this application any such changes which may be included within the scope of my claims.

I claim as my invention: 7, I

1. In a device of the class described, a frame, a supporting means for the forward end of said frame, an upwardly extending frame at the forward end of said first frame, excavating devices on said second frame, a truck for supporting the rear end of said first frame, and means for pi-votally 'mounting said first frame on said truck and for permitting vertical and horizontal adjustment of the first frame with relation to the truck.

2. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a truck for supporting one end of said frame for permitting said frame to be swung pivotally on said truck, rotary supporting members under the other end of said frame, a source of power, and means for operatively connecting said source of power with said rotary supporting members and with said truck, whereby the rotary supporting. members may be actuated for swinging the frame pivotally on the supporting truck and for simultaneously advancing the frame with relation to the supporting truck.

.3, In a device of the class described, a main frame, a truck for supporting oneiend of said frame for. permitting said frame to be swung pivotally on said truck, rotary supporting members under the other end,

of said truck, a source of power, and means for operatlvely connectmg said source of power with said rotary supporting members and with said truck, whereby the rotary supporting members maybe actuated V for swinging the frame pivotally on the supporting truck and for simultaneously advancing the frame with relation to the supporting truck, said means having provisions whereby the main frame can be swung pivotally Without being advanced.

4. In a machine of the class described, a truck, a supporting frame pivotally mounted thereon to swing in a horizontal plane,

rotary means for'supporting the swinging end of the frame, an endless belt mounted on the swinging end of the frame having its lower end at the bottom of the supporting frame and its upper end at the top of the supporting frame, the outer side of the belt being inclined upwardly and away from its lower end, and means for vertically adjusting the end of the frame adjacent to the truck relative to the truck whereby the angle of inclination of the conveyor may be varied.

5. In a device of the class described, a main frame, a truck for supporting one end of said frame for permitting said frame to be swung pivotally on said truck, rotary supporting members under the other end of said truck, a source of power, means for operatively connecting said source of power with said rotary supporting members and with said truck, whereby the rotary supporting members may be actuated for swinging the frame pivotally on the supporting truck and for simultaneously advancing the frame with relation to the supporting truck, a second frame on said first frame, excavating devices thereon, and means for operating said excavating devices simultaneously with the other operations of the machine.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a main frame, means for swinging said frame about a pivot point, cutting and carrying mechanism carried by the main frame adapted to discharge at the top portion thereof, a hopper arranged above the pivot point, means for conveying material discharged from the carrying mechanism to the hopper, and a platform for cars below the hopper and above said pivot point.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support, a main frame pivoted thereon to permit said frame to swing in a segment, a stationary hopper above the pivot point of said support, and a stationary car platform between the hopper and the pivot point.

8. In a machine of the class described, a frame pivotally supported at one end to permit the horizontal swinging of said frame, cutting mechanism carried thereby, a segmental track for supporting the other end of said main frame, and means operatively connected with the frame arranged to 'be operated by swinging movement of the frame for advancing the segmental track.

9. In a machine of the class described, a frame pivotally supported at one end to permit said frame to swing horizontally, earth cutting mechanism carried thereby, a segmental track for supporting the other end of the frame, and means adapted to be operated by swingin movement of the main frame for bodily advancing the segmental track, said means comprislng a push bar pivotally connected to the swinging frame at a point spaced from its pivot point, and having one end engaging the segmental track.

10. In a device of the class described, a frame pivotally supported at one end to swing horizontally, a curved. track on the other end of said frame, a rotating supporting member interposed between said curved track and said other end of said frame, and means operatively connected with said main frame for engaging and advancing said curved track when said frame is swung on its pivot.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 29, 1915.

I-IALVER RUFUS STRAIGHT.

Witnesses:

L. V. RUSSELL, C. B. DAWES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

